A lot slower of a start to the Big Year this year than I'd have liked.. I first went out birding New Years weekend, decided to check out a trail famous this winter for hosting a number of seasonally unusual warblers. Unfortunately, I never managed to actually find the entrance to the trail before my time was up so no dice there. Since then, I've had a very busy few weeks so not had much time for wildlife watching or zoo going. I had planned for this weekend to join a birding event with a non-profit I work with, but sadly a rear-end collision to my car put an early stop to that (I'm totally fine!). Plans also fell through today to visit a known grouse spot in northern CT. As a result of the above, much of my list consists of odds and ends I've picked up since the start of the year.
Today, however, I still utilized the day off to make a second go at the warbler trail--this time to a lot more success! I also twitched a rare vagrant that was spotted only a couple days ago the next town over from the trail. So all in all, can't complain too much!
Miscellaneous catch-up birds first:
1) Canada Goose Branta canadensis
2) Mute Swan Cygnus olor
3) Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata
4) Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
5) Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
6) Rock Pigeon Columba livia
7) Ring-Billed Gull Larus delawarensis
8) American Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
9) Red-Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
10) Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
11) American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
12) Fish Crow Corvus ossifragus
13) Black-Capped Chickadee Poecile atricapilla
14) European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
15) Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
16) House Sparrow Passer domesticus
17) Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
18) Dark-Eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
19) Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
Now for this morning's haul (dash indicates a change in location):
20) Downy Woodpecker Dryobates pubescens
21) Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
22) White-Throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
23) (Red) Fox Sparrow Passerella (iliaca) iliaca
24) Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana
25) Green-Tailed Towhee Pipilo chlorurus
26) Red-Bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
----
27) Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
28) Sharp-Shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus
29) Common Raven Corvus corax
30) American Wigeon Mareca americana
31) Buff-Bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens
32) Ruby-Crowned Kinglet Corthylio calendula
33) Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
34) Red-Breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis
35) Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
36) Yellow-Rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata
37) Nashville Warbler Leiothlypis ruficapilla
Totaled 6 lifers, including two very unusual species for this state, especially this time of year. Definitely pleased with today's results!
~Thylo
Today, however, I still utilized the day off to make a second go at the warbler trail--this time to a lot more success! I also twitched a rare vagrant that was spotted only a couple days ago the next town over from the trail. So all in all, can't complain too much!
Miscellaneous catch-up birds first:
1) Canada Goose Branta canadensis
2) Mute Swan Cygnus olor
3) Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata
4) Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
5) Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
6) Rock Pigeon Columba livia
7) Ring-Billed Gull Larus delawarensis
8) American Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
9) Red-Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
10) Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
11) American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
12) Fish Crow Corvus ossifragus
13) Black-Capped Chickadee Poecile atricapilla
14) European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
15) Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
16) House Sparrow Passer domesticus
17) Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
18) Dark-Eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
19) Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
Now for this morning's haul (dash indicates a change in location):
20) Downy Woodpecker Dryobates pubescens
21) Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
22) White-Throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
23) (Red) Fox Sparrow Passerella (iliaca) iliaca
24) Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana
25) Green-Tailed Towhee Pipilo chlorurus
26) Red-Bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
----
27) Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
28) Sharp-Shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus
29) Common Raven Corvus corax
30) American Wigeon Mareca americana
31) Buff-Bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens
32) Ruby-Crowned Kinglet Corthylio calendula
33) Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon
34) Red-Breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis
35) Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
36) Yellow-Rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata
37) Nashville Warbler Leiothlypis ruficapilla
Totaled 6 lifers, including two very unusual species for this state, especially this time of year. Definitely pleased with today's results!
~Thylo
